Autonomy has long been regarded as an important quality in affecting our wellbeing at work.  New research from George Mason University also highlights how important it is in buffering the impact of stress and burnout during the Covid-19 pandemic for healthcare staff operating on the front line.

Burnout in healthcare during Covid is at chronic levels, with data suggesting over half of clinicians and nurses are suffering to some degree due to the extremely long hours and harrowing circumstances they’re working in.

Responding to change

The researchers found that when healthcare staff have the ability to respond to change they experienced lower levels of burnout.  This was especially so when their workplace provided strong teamwork, communication, and overall leadership support.

“We know that health care work environments and job demands have a profound effect on the health and well-being of those delivering care, and they may even influence the quality of health care received by patients,” the researchers say. “Especially as our health care professionals and systems are being pushed to the limit in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that we are more aware of the influences of the work environment and job demands on health care professionals’ health and well-being.”

The researchers spoke to over 1,250 practitioners across 154 primary care facilities in Virginia.  They were asked about their capacity for change, their change readiness, the number of hours worked each week, and then their perceived levels of burnout.

High level of strain

As with previous research, the study finds extremely high levels of burnout among frontline staff, with both practice and individual factors relating to their level of burnout.  Lower levels were consistent with an apparent high level of individual response to change, especially when coupled with a higher organizational capacity for change.

There seems an almost direct link between people’s ability to enact changes at work and their likelihood of experiencing burnout.  Sadly this appeared to be diminished among those working for either large practices or single-specialty practices.

“We found that the capacity of the practice to change influenced the relationship between individual response to change and burnout,” the researchers conclude. “Therefore, we recommend that physician practices and health care systems implement initiatives to reduce burnout by creating positive work environments through interprofessional teamwork, employee engagement, and enhanced communication.”